Customer Rating: 
Summary: A great introduction to modern physics!
Comment: Not being a mathematical whiz, I found this book fairly easy to understand. Brian Greene did a wonderful job not only explaining modern physics, but also how science got to where it is. I really enjoyed the pop culture examples to explain concepts and he did a great job of not filling the book with technical jargon that can loose people quickly. I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants a better understanding of physics and natural science.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Get this one if you have not read The Elegant Universe...
Comment: The negative reviews say that there's not much that's new in this book (over and above what was in The Elegant Universe.) As I have not read The Elegant Universe, I find this book most wonderful: in the first 100 pages alone, you learn all you wanted to know about relativity and quantum theories, written lucidly.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Very interesting, highly recommended
Comment: As an amateur interested in astronomy and astrophysics I enjoyed listening to Brian Green's the Fabric of the Cosmos very much, learned a lot and thought about fundamental questions about the universe in a different way. The questions below and many others are explored in a very interesting way. The explanations flow smoothly in a logical manner. Questions are raised in a way to get the listener thinking. This audio CD is relevant to both amateurs and professionals on the topic. As an amateur I was not able to understand everything on the CD yet. I am sure that as I listen to the CD several more times I will understand a lot more. These topics are sometimes explained in a boring way in high school physics and college astrophysics courses and therefore can kill interest in the topic. By contrast, this CD introduces them in a very curiosity raising manner. It uses a philosophical and yet at the same time a scientifc approach that is upto date. I have also watched DVDs on similar topics before. So before listening to this CD I was skeptical about whether a CD about the universe lacking the visual elements of a DVD could be interesting or not. My answer now is definitely yes ; the auditory explanations create very interesting mental images in the listener's mind.
Examples to some of the questions, among others, explored in the CD are : What is time ? What is space ? How are they related ? What is reality and how do we perceive it ? Does time always have to flow towards the future or can the direction of flow sometimes reverse ? Does time flow at the same rate in different parts of the universe or not ? How was the universe created ? How is it likely to end ? Is the big bang theory of the creation of the universe valid ? What has banged, how and how long ago? Could the universe actually be a giant brain ? How many dimensions are there in the universe ? Can we perceive all the dimensions or not ? What are matter and energy ? How are they related ? What are black holes ? What could be happening inside black holes ? How does Einstein's theory of general relativity explain the universe ? According to that theory, why is the velocity of light always constant ? What is light made of ? What are photons ? How does light travel in space ? What are the limitations in Isaac Newton's explanation of the universe ? Are objects that are billions of light years apart in the universe completely unrelated or can they affect one another despite those awesome distances ? How do we perceive movement ? Movement occurs with respect to what ? What are frames of reference ? Could we perceive movement in space if there were no other objects at all in the universe ? How did atomic theory start ? What are the smallest particles of matter ? What are quarks ? Are electrons matter or energy ? What is quantum theory ? How does it reconcile with the theory of general relativity ? What is the uncertainty principle ? Why can't the velocity and position of an object be simultaneously determined with absolute certainty ? What is gravity ? Are all forces in the universe such as gravity, electromagnetism etc. actually different manifestations of the same force or not ? What is string theory and how does it explain the universe ? Is a unified theory that explains everything possible ? How is the structure of the atom related to the structure of the universe ? What are the historical developments of various theories that attempt to explain the universe ? What are the contributions of Isaac Newton, Albert Einstein, Edwin Hubble and many other scientists and philosophers to the development of our understanding of matter, energy, space, time, the universe and the texture of reality ? As of today how much do we understand the universe ? What questions remain unanswered ? What are the likely developments in these theories in the future ? How do the various theories contradict and / or reconcile with one another ?
We may think that the answers to questions such as what is space ? what is gravity ? what is time ? what is reality ? what is movement ? are simple and that we already know the answers from our high school physics courses. So we may reason that there is no need for deep philosophical contemplation about them. However, this CD challenges this type of thinking and makes us aware that what we maybe taking for granted as known facts may not be ultimate answers at all. For example, if you think that space is equivalent to emptiness, to nothingness and if you think that time can flow only in one direction, that is towards what we call the future, think again. This CD challenges these concepts.
Thousands of years ago humankind thought that the Earth was carried on the backs of giant elephants or turtles. A few centuries ago humankind was debating whether the Earth was flat or round, if the Earth orbited the sun or the reverse. Humankind's vision of the universe was limited to the solar system and fixed stars. The only elements were air, soil, fire and water. With the contributions of many scientists including Galileo our understanding of the universe significantly developed to date. However, this CD demonstrates that despite these giant steps, and despite the sophistication of our current theories, we still have a long way to go before we can say that we fully understand the universe. This CD demonstrates that we do not yet have certain and final answers, but we have many questions that are being further explored. Fortunately, we have significant knowledge, that accumulates in the right direction towards the discovery of the " truth ".
So if these matters arouse your curiosity I strongly recommend that you listen to the CD titled " The Fabric of the the Cosmos " by Brian Green.
Customer Rating:
Summary: An Expose of Reality
Comment: Brian Greene exposes the gaps in our understanding of what we consider to be reality. I found it amusing how we have mastered the technique of patching-up these gaps in order to maintain some sanity of order in our lives. Are we truly scientists or just shamans in disguise?
Well done!
Customer Rating:
Summary: Extensive explaination of cosmology but too intricate for leisure reading
Comment: The Fabric of the Cosmos (TFOTC) is one of the most complex non-fiction general reading books you could obtain. It is nearly 500 pages of heady cosmology. Brian Greene, a superstring expert, is able to take an extremely difficult topic and make it less difficult to come to terms with, but this should not be confused with making cosmology simple for everybody. Even those familiar with cosmology might require more than several readings to get the material.
TFOTC is about the microscopic even though the title suggests that we will be mostly looking through a telescope, it is predominantly looking through a microscope. It is important to note though that TFOTC is not a book that is entirely devoted to string theory. If you want a book about string theory then Greene's previous work, The Elegant Universe, is the book you want to read. Three quarters of this book is about spacetime and relativity. The final quarter is about string theory in terms of relativity, the big bang and inflation.
Part 1 Reality's Arena, deals with space and time in terms of classical physics, quantum mechanics, cosmology, spinning buckets of water, Isaac Newton, Ernst Mach, Gottfried Leibniz, relativity and the absolute, special relativity, general relativity, spacetime, quantum laws, probability waves, interference patterns, particle spin, the double slit experiment, Heisenberg's uncertainty principle, Albert Einstein, Boris Podolsky and Nathan Rosen.
Part 2 Time and Experience, treats the topics of the flow of time, simultaneousness, the arrow of time, time-reversal symmetry, entropy, the delayed choice quantum eraser experiment and decoherence.
Part 3 Spacetime and Cosmology, delves into the history of the universe, symmetry, cosmic evolution, stretching spacetime, Higgs boson, the grand unification, the Big Bang, inflation, dark energy, the cosmological constant, the formation of galaxies and the origin of time.
Part 4 Origins and Unification discusses string theory, Planck length, Planck time, Branes, M-theory, Edward Witten, Paul Dirac, gravity, extra dimensions and cyclic cosmology.
Part 5: Reality and Imagination looks at space and time travel and comes up with a number of ideas about how time travel could be achieved (although the author thinks it highly unlikely). Teleporters and Time Machines are also described but the author presents more problems than resolutions with these topics. There is a good discussion of worm holes.
This type of book being so all inclusive is hard to come by and in that respect you can't help but appreciate how much Brian Greene knows and has committed to the page. It truly is an impressive book on cosmology.
There is surprisingly little about black holes (probably because Stephen Hawking already does it so well) but Greene's work covers a lot more on entropy, relativity, inflation theory and gravity. If it is entropy, relativity, gravity and inflation theory you want to learn about then TFOTC is where it is at. Many readers will find that it would probably be much better to start with TFOTC and then move onto The Elegant Universe, even though The Elegant Universe was written before this book. Both books can be read stand alone although there is some cross-referencing.
TFOTC has a huge number of footnotes. I found myself keeping two page markers and constantly flipping back and forth between the two. Sometimes this breaks the flow and other times it reveals something more but a lot of it is for the `mathematically inclined reader'. Greene's examples are hit or miss, but most are well presented. Sometimes his examples (usually involving Simpson characters or Mulder and Scully from the X files) are some of the best for any book of its kind (such as the relativity examples) but occasionally they fall short (such as the important inflation examples). Still though, it is hard to find anything else that even attempts to explain these topics in laymen's terms. The book also covers a considerable number of apparent paradoxes and this means that you may find yourself going back several steps in order to make one step forward. This is just the nature of the topic though and the author can hardly be held to fault.
If you know that this book does make you work then there is a good possibility you will read it through to the end. If you are expecting cosmology made so simple a child could get it, you are misleading yourself. There is really no such thing as cosmology for the layman and TFOTC is far from easy. Several readings may even be warranted but that makes it all the more reason to own. You know that one day you will go back to it again and certainly as a reference you will find no better source to give you an idea of where cosmology stands at the start of the 21st century and what is on the horizon.
Summary: A great introduction to modern physics!
Comment: Not being a mathematical whiz, I found this book fairly easy to understand. Brian Greene did a wonderful job not only explaining modern physics, but also how science got to where it is. I really enjoyed the pop culture examples to explain concepts and he did a great job of not filling the book with technical jargon that can loose people quickly. I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants a better understanding of physics and natural science.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Get this one if you have not read The Elegant Universe...
Comment: The negative reviews say that there's not much that's new in this book (over and above what was in The Elegant Universe.) As I have not read The Elegant Universe, I find this book most wonderful: in the first 100 pages alone, you learn all you wanted to know about relativity and quantum theories, written lucidly.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Very interesting, highly recommended
Comment: As an amateur interested in astronomy and astrophysics I enjoyed listening to Brian Green's the Fabric of the Cosmos very much, learned a lot and thought about fundamental questions about the universe in a different way. The questions below and many others are explored in a very interesting way. The explanations flow smoothly in a logical manner. Questions are raised in a way to get the listener thinking. This audio CD is relevant to both amateurs and professionals on the topic. As an amateur I was not able to understand everything on the CD yet. I am sure that as I listen to the CD several more times I will understand a lot more. These topics are sometimes explained in a boring way in high school physics and college astrophysics courses and therefore can kill interest in the topic. By contrast, this CD introduces them in a very curiosity raising manner. It uses a philosophical and yet at the same time a scientifc approach that is upto date. I have also watched DVDs on similar topics before. So before listening to this CD I was skeptical about whether a CD about the universe lacking the visual elements of a DVD could be interesting or not. My answer now is definitely yes ; the auditory explanations create very interesting mental images in the listener's mind.
Examples to some of the questions, among others, explored in the CD are : What is time ? What is space ? How are they related ? What is reality and how do we perceive it ? Does time always have to flow towards the future or can the direction of flow sometimes reverse ? Does time flow at the same rate in different parts of the universe or not ? How was the universe created ? How is it likely to end ? Is the big bang theory of the creation of the universe valid ? What has banged, how and how long ago? Could the universe actually be a giant brain ? How many dimensions are there in the universe ? Can we perceive all the dimensions or not ? What are matter and energy ? How are they related ? What are black holes ? What could be happening inside black holes ? How does Einstein's theory of general relativity explain the universe ? According to that theory, why is the velocity of light always constant ? What is light made of ? What are photons ? How does light travel in space ? What are the limitations in Isaac Newton's explanation of the universe ? Are objects that are billions of light years apart in the universe completely unrelated or can they affect one another despite those awesome distances ? How do we perceive movement ? Movement occurs with respect to what ? What are frames of reference ? Could we perceive movement in space if there were no other objects at all in the universe ? How did atomic theory start ? What are the smallest particles of matter ? What are quarks ? Are electrons matter or energy ? What is quantum theory ? How does it reconcile with the theory of general relativity ? What is the uncertainty principle ? Why can't the velocity and position of an object be simultaneously determined with absolute certainty ? What is gravity ? Are all forces in the universe such as gravity, electromagnetism etc. actually different manifestations of the same force or not ? What is string theory and how does it explain the universe ? Is a unified theory that explains everything possible ? How is the structure of the atom related to the structure of the universe ? What are the historical developments of various theories that attempt to explain the universe ? What are the contributions of Isaac Newton, Albert Einstein, Edwin Hubble and many other scientists and philosophers to the development of our understanding of matter, energy, space, time, the universe and the texture of reality ? As of today how much do we understand the universe ? What questions remain unanswered ? What are the likely developments in these theories in the future ? How do the various theories contradict and / or reconcile with one another ?
We may think that the answers to questions such as what is space ? what is gravity ? what is time ? what is reality ? what is movement ? are simple and that we already know the answers from our high school physics courses. So we may reason that there is no need for deep philosophical contemplation about them. However, this CD challenges this type of thinking and makes us aware that what we maybe taking for granted as known facts may not be ultimate answers at all. For example, if you think that space is equivalent to emptiness, to nothingness and if you think that time can flow only in one direction, that is towards what we call the future, think again. This CD challenges these concepts.
Thousands of years ago humankind thought that the Earth was carried on the backs of giant elephants or turtles. A few centuries ago humankind was debating whether the Earth was flat or round, if the Earth orbited the sun or the reverse. Humankind's vision of the universe was limited to the solar system and fixed stars. The only elements were air, soil, fire and water. With the contributions of many scientists including Galileo our understanding of the universe significantly developed to date. However, this CD demonstrates that despite these giant steps, and despite the sophistication of our current theories, we still have a long way to go before we can say that we fully understand the universe. This CD demonstrates that we do not yet have certain and final answers, but we have many questions that are being further explored. Fortunately, we have significant knowledge, that accumulates in the right direction towards the discovery of the " truth ".
So if these matters arouse your curiosity I strongly recommend that you listen to the CD titled " The Fabric of the the Cosmos " by Brian Green.
Customer Rating:
Summary: An Expose of Reality
Comment: Brian Greene exposes the gaps in our understanding of what we consider to be reality. I found it amusing how we have mastered the technique of patching-up these gaps in order to maintain some sanity of order in our lives. Are we truly scientists or just shamans in disguise?
Well done!
Customer Rating:
Summary: Extensive explaination of cosmology but too intricate for leisure reading
Comment: The Fabric of the Cosmos (TFOTC) is one of the most complex non-fiction general reading books you could obtain. It is nearly 500 pages of heady cosmology. Brian Greene, a superstring expert, is able to take an extremely difficult topic and make it less difficult to come to terms with, but this should not be confused with making cosmology simple for everybody. Even those familiar with cosmology might require more than several readings to get the material.
TFOTC is about the microscopic even though the title suggests that we will be mostly looking through a telescope, it is predominantly looking through a microscope. It is important to note though that TFOTC is not a book that is entirely devoted to string theory. If you want a book about string theory then Greene's previous work, The Elegant Universe, is the book you want to read. Three quarters of this book is about spacetime and relativity. The final quarter is about string theory in terms of relativity, the big bang and inflation.
Part 1 Reality's Arena, deals with space and time in terms of classical physics, quantum mechanics, cosmology, spinning buckets of water, Isaac Newton, Ernst Mach, Gottfried Leibniz, relativity and the absolute, special relativity, general relativity, spacetime, quantum laws, probability waves, interference patterns, particle spin, the double slit experiment, Heisenberg's uncertainty principle, Albert Einstein, Boris Podolsky and Nathan Rosen.
Part 2 Time and Experience, treats the topics of the flow of time, simultaneousness, the arrow of time, time-reversal symmetry, entropy, the delayed choice quantum eraser experiment and decoherence.
Part 3 Spacetime and Cosmology, delves into the history of the universe, symmetry, cosmic evolution, stretching spacetime, Higgs boson, the grand unification, the Big Bang, inflation, dark energy, the cosmological constant, the formation of galaxies and the origin of time.
Part 4 Origins and Unification discusses string theory, Planck length, Planck time, Branes, M-theory, Edward Witten, Paul Dirac, gravity, extra dimensions and cyclic cosmology.
Part 5: Reality and Imagination looks at space and time travel and comes up with a number of ideas about how time travel could be achieved (although the author thinks it highly unlikely). Teleporters and Time Machines are also described but the author presents more problems than resolutions with these topics. There is a good discussion of worm holes.
This type of book being so all inclusive is hard to come by and in that respect you can't help but appreciate how much Brian Greene knows and has committed to the page. It truly is an impressive book on cosmology.
There is surprisingly little about black holes (probably because Stephen Hawking already does it so well) but Greene's work covers a lot more on entropy, relativity, inflation theory and gravity. If it is entropy, relativity, gravity and inflation theory you want to learn about then TFOTC is where it is at. Many readers will find that it would probably be much better to start with TFOTC and then move onto The Elegant Universe, even though The Elegant Universe was written before this book. Both books can be read stand alone although there is some cross-referencing.
TFOTC has a huge number of footnotes. I found myself keeping two page markers and constantly flipping back and forth between the two. Sometimes this breaks the flow and other times it reveals something more but a lot of it is for the `mathematically inclined reader'. Greene's examples are hit or miss, but most are well presented. Sometimes his examples (usually involving Simpson characters or Mulder and Scully from the X files) are some of the best for any book of its kind (such as the relativity examples) but occasionally they fall short (such as the important inflation examples). Still though, it is hard to find anything else that even attempts to explain these topics in laymen's terms. The book also covers a considerable number of apparent paradoxes and this means that you may find yourself going back several steps in order to make one step forward. This is just the nature of the topic though and the author can hardly be held to fault.
If you know that this book does make you work then there is a good possibility you will read it through to the end. If you are expecting cosmology made so simple a child could get it, you are misleading yourself. There is really no such thing as cosmology for the layman and TFOTC is far from easy. Several readings may even be warranted but that makes it all the more reason to own. You know that one day you will go back to it again and certainly as a reference you will find no better source to give you an idea of where cosmology stands at the start of the 21st century and what is on the horizon.
The Fabric of the Cosmos: Space, Time, and the Texture of Reality Reviews: Page 2 of 42
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